Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - Authorities say they may have found the two vandals suspected of wreaking havoc in a Lawrenceville subdivision last weekend.

Gwinnett County police spokeswoman Cpl. Illana Spellman said a Lawrenceville man contacted police Tuesday believing his 13-year-old son may have been involved in the criminal activity that left 14 homes inside the Brook Forest subdivision littered with black spray paint, broken Christmas decorations and damaged yards.

The teen, whose name is not being released, reportedly told police he spent the night with a friend who lives in the targeted subdivision off Rock Springs Road.

Spellman said the teen has been interviewed by detectives who believe they may have enough evidence to charge him.

Investigators are attempting to interview the 13-year-old friend the boy said he stayed with Friday night.

Spellman said the juveniles could face up to 10 counts of misdemeanor criminal trespass and two counts felony criminal damage to property in the second degree.

If charges are filed, Spellman said they are expected by Friday.

District 4 Planning Commissioner Paula Hastings lives in the upper-class neighborhood and is one of the Lawrenceville residents who filed police reports Sunday in hopes authorities would track down the holiday humbugs that caused the damage.

Hastings said she was shocked to find crude messages, including a swastika and smutty drawings painted across her garage door Sunday morning.

"If they had just messed with the decorations we would have said, 'Oh, stupid kids,'" Hastings said. "But this goes beyond that. This is criminal and just unacceptable and we're angry now."

Kathleen Carey said the cords to 10 small lighted Christmas trees were cut, rendering her holiday decor useless.

Hastings has covered the vulgar drawings on her garage doors and though it was about $200 to replace the damaged Christmas trees, Carey has already restored her yard to a festival of white lights.

The neighborhood's homeowners association is offering a $1,400 reward for information leading to the conviction of the vandals.

The association's president was not available for comment about the reward by press time Wednesday.